Green easing Hedges back into Padres' lineup

ARLINGTON -- Coming into the three-game Interleague set against the Rangers, Padres manager Andy Green already had a plan in place to give catcher Austin Hedges a day off on Tuesday.

Hedges returned from the disabled list on Sunday after being sidelined with right elbow tendinitis on May 1. Hedges played in the previous two games, and Green said he wants to ease Hedges back into action.

ARLINGTON -- Coming into the three-game Interleague set against the Rangers, Padres manager Andy Green already had a plan in place to give catcher Austin Hedges a day off on Tuesday.

Hedges returned from the disabled list on Sunday after being sidelined with right elbow tendinitis on May 1. Hedges played in the previous two games, and Green said he wants to ease Hedges back into action.

"Coming back, he had two [games] in a row, and he wasn't going to go four in a row, especially with 100-degree weather, right off the DL," Green said before Tuesday's contest at Globe Life Park. "This was the right game in the middle, for me."

Green said he is expecting Hedges to be in the starting lineup for the series finale here on Wednesday.

Green eyes rest for relieversAfter using his bullpen in the final four innings of Monday's 7-4 loss to the Rangers, Green said he is hoping to give his relievers a break in the coming days, especially with right-hander Tyson Ross on the mound on Tuesday and left-hander Clayton Richard scheduled to pitch on Wednesday.

The Padres will have an off-day on Thursday before opening a three-game series with the Pirates on Friday at Petco Park.

"It's definitely a hope in the next couple days, and those two guys [Ross and Richard] leading into a day off hopefully is a refresh, or reset, for the bullpen, but you never know," Green said. "[Texas] is a very good offensive club that's swinging the bats really well lately.

"I like both those guys on the mound for us, and I'm excited about these next two days. Come back and win the series will be the goal."

The Padres' bullpen entered Tuesday with a 3.53 ERA -- which ranked as the fourth-best mark in the National League and seventh-best in the Majors -- but it couldn't hold on to a 3-0 lead on Monday.

Craig Stammen, who has been dominant out of the bullpen, lost his first game of the season and gave up three runs to the Rangers. Those were the most runs he's given up in an outing since April 18.

Worth notingEric Hosmer returned to the lineup on Tuesday after receiving a day off on Monday. Hosmer entered Tuesday batting .154 (6-for-39) over his past nine games.

Christian Villanueva was given the day off on Tuesday and was replaced by Cory Spangenberg at third base. Villanueva is batting .182 (8-for-44) with 16 strikeouts in his past 15 games.